1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a refill cartridge for a spray bottle, and more particularly to an easy to use refill cartridge configured to be disposed within the spray bottle during usage thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known in the art to employ the use of a spray bottle to dispense a fluid. For instance, cleaners, cosmetics, and other fluids are commonly sold in spray bottles to facilitate dispensing by a user. After repeated use of the spray bottle, the amount of liquid in the bottle decreases to the point where the spray bottle is effectively empty.
Once the spray bottle is empty, many users are inclined to throw the empty spray bottle away and purchase a new spray bottle, despite the fact that the empty spray bottle is still capable of dispensing fluid. Given that a typical spray bottle is generally designed to hold a small amount of fluid (i.e., one quart), a user may quickly consume all of the fluid contained within the spray bottle. As such, a large number of spray bottles may be used over a short period of time.
Many spray bottles are formed out of a environmentally harmful materials, such as plastics. Therefore, large consumption of such spray bottles may have detrimental effects on the environment.
As an alternative to buying a new spray bottle upon emptying a previous spray bottle, a user can often times purchase a refill which usually contains a smaller amount of the fluid in a higher concentration. The fluid in the refill can be poured into the spray bottle and mixed with water or other diluting fluids to fill the spray bottle. Purchasing a refill tends to be more environmentally friendly, as the refill container is typically smaller than the original spray bottle container. Furthermore, the refill tends to be less expensive than purchasing a new spray bottle.
Although purchasing a refill offers certain advantages, many consumers are more likely to purchase a brand new spray bottle rather than purchase a refill. In this manner, many consumers have a habit of throwing away a spray bottle when it is empty rather than storing an empty spray bottle until they can buy a refill. Once the consumer throws the empty spray bottle away, there are precluded from purchasing a refill. Furthermore, when refills are sold on a shelf next to a full spray bottle, consumers may be inclined to purchase the new spray bottle rather than the refill.
As is apparent from the foregoing, there exists a need in the art for a new spray bottle refill, and a method of distributing the refill with the spray bottle. The present invention addresses this particular need, as will be discussed in more detail below.